The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-04-29
HONEST THRIFT
THE THEME OF DR.. TALMAoE'S SUN.
DAY MORNING SERMON.

'ssest Thou Man Diligent In Dus
ness, Hc Shall Stand Before Kings.
A Good Time Coming for woms
Workers.
BROOKLYN, April 24.-At the Tabcrnacl
this morning, the pastor, Rev. T. Dewitt
Talmage, ID. d., read from the Book of PrC
verbs some lessons about honest thrift. il
then gave out the hymn beginning:
The strife will not be long
This day the noise Of battle,
The next the victor's song.
The boy choir chanted an opening and clos
ing selection. DR.. Talmage's discourse wa
entitled: "Behind the Counter; or, Trial
and Encouragements Of Statesmen and Sales
women" He took the two blowing passage
as his text: "And certain woman nainet
Lydia, seller Of purple, of tho city of Thy
atira, which worshipcd God, heard us; who's,
heart the Lord opened. Acts xvi, II. "Sees
thou man diligent in his business, hc shall
stand before kings."-Proverbs xxi, 20. The
preacher said: .Ir. i..ut. .'....I
The first passage introduces to you Lydia
a Christian merchantcss Her business is to
deal in purple cloths or silks She is not a
gfggling nonenity, but practical woman,
not ashamed to work for her living. All the
other women of Philippi and Thyatira have
been forgotten, but God has made immortal
incur text Lydia, the Christian saleswoman.
The other text shows you man with head
and hand and heart and foot all busy toiling
on up until he gains a princely success.
"Seest thou man diligent in business, he
shall stand before kings" Great encourage
ment in these two passages for men and
women who will be busy, but no solace for
those who are waiting for good luck to show
them, at the foot Of the rainbow, casket Of
buried gold. 1t is folly for anybody in this
world to wait for something to turn up. 1t
will turn down. The law of thrift is as mex
orable as tho law Of the tides. Fortune, the
magician, may wave her arm in that direc-
ton until castles and palaces come; but she
will, after while, invert the same wand, and
all the splcndors will vanish into thin air.
There are certain styles Of behavior which
lead to usefulness, honor and permanent sue
cess, and there are certain styles Of behavior
which lead to dust, dishonor and moral de-
fault. would like to fire the ambition Of
young people. have no sympathy with
those who would prepare young folks for life
by whiting down their expectations. That
man or woman will be worth nothing to
church or state who begins life cowed down.
The business of Christianity is not to quench
but to direct human ambition. Therefore it
is that l come out this morning and utter
words of encouragement to those who are oc-
cupied as clerks in the stores and shops and
banking houses Of the country. You say:
"Why select one class, and talk to one
specially this morning?" For the same
reason that a surgeon does not open the door
of hospital and throw in bushel of pre-
scriptions saying: "Come, now, and get
your medicine" He first feels the pulse,
watches the symptoms, and then prescribes
for that particular case So to-day must
be specific. The people in this audience who
are clerks are not an exceptional class. They
belong to a great company Of tens Of thou
sands who ore in this country amid circum-
stances which will either make or break
them for time and for eternity. I should be
very slow to acknowledge that the clerks,
male and female, of other cities, are any
more honest or faithful than the clerks of our
own city. Many of these people have already
achieved a Christian nianliness and Chris
tian wonlanliness which will be their pass
port to any position. have seen their trials
have watched their perplexities. There are
evils abroad which need to be hunted down,
and dragged out into the MONDAY light
In the first place, counsel clerks to re-
member that for the most part their clerk
ship is only school from which they are to
be graduated. 1t takes about eight years to
get one of the learned professions. 1t takes
about eight years to get to be merchant.
Some of you will be clerks all your lives, but
the vast majority Of you are only in tran
sient position. After while, some Decem-
Der day. the head men of the firm will call
you into the back Office, and they will say to
you: "Now, you have done well by us; we
are going to do well by you. We invite you
to have an interest in our concern" You
will bow to that edict very gracefully. Get
ting into Street car to so home an old COM
rade will meet you and say: "What makes
you look SO happy tonight" "Oh," you will
say, nothing, nothing" But in few days
your name will blossom on the sign. Either
In the store or bank where you are now, or in
some other store or bank. you will take a
higher position than that which you now &C.
cupy. So feel to-day that I am standing
before people who will yet have their hand
on the helm of the worlds commerce, and
you will turn it this way or that; now
clerks, but to be bankers, importers, in
suraDce company directors, shippers, con-
tractors superintendent Of railroads-your
voice mighty "on Change fore
most in the great financial and re-
ligious enterprises Of the day For.
though we who are in the professions may,
on the platform, plead for the philanthropies,
after all the merchants must come forth with |
their millions to sustain the movement. Be,
therefore, patient and diligent in this tran
sient position You are now where you can
learn things you can never learn in any other |
place. What you consider your disadvan-
tages are your grand opportunity You see
an affiuent father some day come down OH a |
prominent street with his son, who has just |
graduated from the university, and estab- |
fishing him in business, putting 100000 of |
capital in the store. Well, you are envious. |
You say, ooh, if only had chance like that |
young man-if only had father to put $780, |
900 in a business for me, then I would have |
some chance in the world" Be not envious. |
You have advantages over that young man
which he has'not over you. As well might |
come down to the docks when a vessel is |
about to sail for Valparaiso and say, LET
me pilot this ship out Of the Narrows." Why,
i would sink crew and cargo before got out |
of the harbor, simply because know nothing
about pilotaoe Wealthy sea CAPTAINS mt |